


Checklists

by Anonymous_Creator



Series: Hiatus [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced BDSM, M/M, Rating: PG13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:03:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22250302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Creator/pseuds/Anonymous_Creator
Summary: Taliesin is woken by a frantic call from Matt. It's 4 hours until their flight is due to depart, and they haven't packed anything yet.  Can their trip to Hawaii be salvaged?
Relationships: Taliesin Jaffe/Matthew Mercer
Series: Hiatus [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601758
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	Checklists

**Author's Note:**

> Let's keep the RPF on A03 and off social media. Especially do not share this with cast or crew. 
> 
> Writing RPF? Consider seting your fiction to require an A03 login to access it, as this makes it harder for the cast, crew, their neighbors, coworkers, or babysitters to find it.

Taliesin cracked open an eye to glare at his ringing phone. His body was a heavy, cozy lump and it took a moment to pick up the noisy thing and focus on Matt’s face. He realized he should answer.“Hey,” he said, his voice warm and a little sleep gruff, “Now, why might you be calling?”

“We have to leave for the airport in four hours and we haven’t packed anything!” Matt’s voice sounded sincerely stressed, on the edge of panic. “Marisha’s still on the phone arguing with the contractor we hired to deal with the tax withholdings and wecanonotmissthisflight.” The last few words were a barely comprehensible, run together mess of anxiety.

Tal felt a jolt of adrenaline shock him fully awake. He shoved off his duvet and let it half fall to the floor.

“Okay. We can deal with this. Four hours is enough time to get you guys taken care of.”

One hand yanked open a drawer with accidental force, his iPhone momentarily smooshed to his shoulder with his cheek.. He winced as the ancient, third hand dresser protested the rough treatment. The drawer hung newly askew, one side off the rail.

“I cannot miss this flight. If we have to eat a change fee on top of the price for last minute tickets we are absolutely sunk,” Matt said. At least that explained why Matt thought he was so worried. Taliesin was pretty sure the money wasn’t the actual issue.  
  
Family was a lot more challenging to think about than money. Hadn’t there been some big event upcoming? Oh. Right. His parent’s wedding anniversary. They were going to renew their vows.

“I’ll be there in 30 minutes,” Tal said, one foot already poked through a pair of boxers as he played hot potato with his phone and his clothes. “Can you hold on that long?”

“I’m j-just not sure how to d-d-d—” There was a moderately creative curse as Matt interrupted himself and started anew. “I need to make this flight.”

“We’ll get you there. I’m walking out to my car now. Can you find your packing list from last year and have it ready when I get there? Can you do that for me, Matthew?”

Matt inhaled sharply at the use of his name in that familiar cadence.

“Being bossy, Taliesin?” Matt said. An accusation, a question, a request? Shit. All of the above? Taliesin sucked in a breath as he winced.

“If you want me to be, I can be. But you’re right to call me out. It’s your choice. Always. I’m sorry I overstepped.”

Taliesin stood outside his car with his phone held up to his ear.His leather satchel swayed over one shoulder, momentum unexpectedly halted. Two hens squabbled near the edge of the coop in the back yard, hoping his footsteps meant food.The wait for Matt to say something was an agonizing five heart beats long.

Matt’s forceful sigh came first. Taliesin could catch the edge of Marisha’s voice as it faded , built, and faded again as Matt paced near the home office. Static rustled the microphone as Matt shifted his grip. “Damn it. It would be a lot fucking easier if I did. It wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I called, though.”

Tal allowed himself a gentle exhalation as some of his own worry eased. “Well, I’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of me. If you want me to lead the charge and let your brain rest, we can do that. If you want your friend to show up and be your friend and just your friend, we can do that, too. Either way, take a moment, breath. Drink a glass of water—that’s your friend Tal suggesting that, before you go getting too smart ass with it. Whatever works best for you is what’s best for me.”

“Right.” Marisha’s voice faded further and Taliesin heard the clink of glass against glass. “We’ll figure it out when you get here.” Matt’s voice had shifted to an exhausted defeatism. This was not how Taliesin wanted to hang up the phone.

“Okay. Making that call for us, then. You’re too good a friend to muck things up. So I’ll come over, give you a hug, and we’ll figure out how to coax your darling wife off the phone and get you speed packed. I’ll also drive you to the airport so you don’t have to worry about your scheduled shuttle pick up. If we need an extra half hour to pack, we’ll have it. And we’ll get you to your terminal with plenty of time to spare. No bells, whistles, or leashes required.”

Matt gave a surprised little huff that substituted for a laugh. “Just hugs, huh?”

“Just hugs.”

“Okay.” A bit of Matt’s normal warmth returned to his voice. “Hugs sounds good. See you in thirty.” The call ended.

With the smooth practice of many years of repetition Taliesin swung open his car door, dropped his satchel in the front passenger seat, and snugged his phone into his car mount. He stopped there in his routine and allowed his shoulder to droop. His head thumped lightly against the steering wheel. One long, frustrated sigh added a hint of condensation to the windshield.

He started his car and checked the route for unexpected traffic. It was a small relief to find nothing unusual. A tap sent his ETA to Matt and with a careful eye he pulled out onto the road.

They did, in fact, make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare for security and to reach their gate. He managed a hug and a half muttered “Sorry I was an ass,” from Marisha. Matt clung to him for a few seconds more. Taliesin was sure this was to help hide the hiccupy shudder as he squeezed Taliesin close.

“Should have taken you up on that offer,” Matt said softly.

Taliesin fixed a smile on his face to patch over the hole in his heart. “Plenty of time for that later. Go get some god damn sun. Since I’m the designated vampire.”

“Elder God,” Matt said. The familiar correction finally teased the corner of Matt’s mouth into a smile. It was the first since Taliesin had arrived at his home 2 hours earlier.

“Well, this Elder God is only interested in commanding his trusty steed back into its driveway and collapsing in bed. So get.” Taliesin shoo’d them away and leaned on his car until they disappeared into the gaping maw of international terminal.

Because he waited he got to see that last glance over Matt’s shoulder, and the brief, true smile before he turned away.

It was nearly enough to mend an old Elder God’s heart.


End file.
